Germany drafts plastic packaging tax of EUR 550 per tonne from mid-2027

Germany's federal government has put forward a draft law to tax plastic in packaging at EUR 550 per 1,000 kilograms, effective 1 July 2027. The levy is projected to bring around EUR 1.5bn into the federal budget in 2028, its first full year in force.

Why this mattersA per-tonne plastics levy raises input costs across Germany's packaging value chain and strengthens the economic case for fibre, mono-material and recycled-content alternatives.

• Draft law sets a tax of EUR 550 per 1,000 kilograms of plastic used in packaging.
• The tax is planned to take effect on 1 July 2027.
• The levy is projected to raise about EUR 1.5bn for the federal budget in 2028, its first full year.

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